Girl, 2, abducted from Willowbank, Ipswich, is found safe and well

A MAN and woman accused of abducting a girl in southeast Queensland on Saturday night met on Facebook only three weeks ago, Ipswich Magistrate’s Court has heard.

The 21-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and the 42-year-old truck driver allegedly took the girl from her home on Saturday night

The 21-year-old was remanded in custody at the Ipswich Magistrates Court today.

The man was granted bail when he appeared in the same court.

The toddler was taken from her father’s Willowbank house on Saturday night.

She was found safe and well at Archerfield in Brisbane the following evening.

The man and women have been charged with abducting a child under the age of 16, burglary and committing an indictable offence.

Their cases were adjourned until May 26.

Earlier, a man and a woman have been charged over the abduction of a two-year-old girl from a south east Queensland property.

The toddler was taken from a home on Sancroft St, Willowbank, on Saturday night.

Around 7pm Sunday, she was found and a man and a woman had been taken into custody at Archerfield.

A 21-year-old Morayfield woman and a 42-year-old Victorian man have both been charged with abducting a child, burglary and indictable offences.

They are both due to appear in the Ipswich Magistrates Court today.

Describing the ordeal, the father said a large man forced his way inside the house and took his daughter, whom he calls Baby.

“I just tried to reach for her, but the big guy pushed me back against the wall,” the father said. “I was told to just let go.”

Police earlier scoured the Ipswich area after witnesses told of seeing three men and a woman in a white Holden Commodore sedan and a silver Mitsubishi sedan near the home in the minutes leading up to the snatch.

Throughout the day, police urged the public to give them any information they had about the incident.

Acting Inspector Alison Jewell said Sunday afternoon that police believed the girl was taken by people known to her.

Neighbours on the quiet cul-de-sac said they heard nothing during the abduction but one person did notice a car driving along the street about the time the abduction took place.

“I saw a car drive up the street about 7pm,” the neighbour said.

“It was a pretty old car … you could tell it wasn’t in the best condition. But it was odd because it was just driving really slowly.”

Another said she could usually hear if there was a disturbance in the neighbourhood, but she heard nothing on the night of the incident.

“It must have happened very quickly,” she said. “If there was a child screaming, I would have heard it.”

She said it was a friendly neighbourhood and the children often played together along the street.

“I was really surprised when I heard about it because this is such a quiet street,” the neighbour said.

A man and a woman are assisting police with their inquiries.

The toddler was staying with her father at a property in Willowbank when she was taken in the dramatic abduction.

The father had been renting some space at the house from a friend for about a week when the incident occurred.

Anyone with further information about the incident is urged to ring 131 564.